PACS Archive for Storage, Management, and Distribution of Medical Imaging Data

CR Solutions

With the dramatic fall in the price of technology over the past several years, PACS Systems and other medical imaging solutions that were once available only to major university medical centers and large, well-funded private hospitals are now affordable for smaller private practices and public clinics. One of the safest medical imaging solutions available, today's PACS System allows a level of flexibility and economy that was unimaginable only ten years ago.

Advantages of a PACS System

The Picture Archiving and Communication System is based on the same technology as the personal computer, except that its primary function is to serve as a storage and retrieval unit for medical images. The PACS archive can include x-rays, CT scans, endoscopy images, mammograms and other medical images, which are saved in DICOM format (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine).

One of the best features of a DICOM archive is that data is grouped into sets that includes (among other information) the patient ID. This is a tremendously valuable safeguard that forever eliminates the possibility that a medical image will be mistakenly filed with the wrong patient records.

PACS Archive Solutions Offer Flexiblity

Like other image formats (jpeg, GIF, png, etc.) with cross-platform compatibility; a document from a DICOM archive can be read using MacOS, Windows and Linux. With the use of a dicom router, it is possible to build a network that includes the pacs workstation, a central printer, scanners and other hardware that speeds workflow and makes the 1001 tasks involved in running any sort of health care facility easier and more efficient. Web based PACS allows for consultation and collaboration in real time over the Internet as well.

Because it is an image file format, a DICOM archive can be enhanced and increased in size and detail using an image editing application such as GIMP or Photoshop.

If your practice currently has no need for a full-featured PACS system, you may benefit from a mini-PACS. Such systems cost far less, as they cover only one to three selected functions, yet can be easily and readily expanded and upgraded as conditions warrant and funding permits. DicomSolutions offers a wide range of medical imaging hardware and software to serve the needs of all medical and dental specialties; a modern PACS system will allow you to spend less time developing and keeping track of files and more time engaging in the diagnosis and treatment of your patients' conditions.